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The Music in It

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Was it only by dreaming or writing that I could find out what I thought?

– Joan Didion

What’s the dream experience like for you? Have you ever had a particularly vivid dream that you haven’t forgotten? A recurring dream? A precognitive dream (a dream that comes true as a future event)? A dream that defies understanding?

While dreams are typically defined as thoughts, images, or emotions that occur during sleep, Thoreau called dreams the “touchstones of our characters.” William Butler Yeats said, “In dreams begins responsibility.” And according to Shakespeare, “We are such stuff / As dreams are made on.” C. K. Chesterton wrote, “The center of every man's existence is a dream.” When I read these comments, I made an immediate connection to poetry: touchstones of our character, the stuff of dreams, responsibility, the center of our existence, thought, image, and emotion; and I began to think about the ways in which dreams intersect with waking life, what dreams mean, and why some dreams are so compelling (and sometimes convincingly real).

I wouldn’t go so far as to suggest that poetry is the language of dreams or vice versa, but a shared “lexicon” of image and emotion is definitely possible. Without getting into the psychology of dreams or dream interpretation (fascinating areas of study), let’s write poems about dreams this week.

Try writing a poem about a specific dream. You might “tell” about a dream, re-create a dream, write about a dream’s impact, or you might write your poem in the prose poem format of a dream journal or diary. If you honestly can’t remember a dream, make one up or write a poem about dreams in general. You might write about an animal’s dream, an inanimate object’s dream, or you might take on the persona of a dream and write as if you are a dream speaking. Another possibility is to write about a nightmare you’ve had, to create a nightmare poem, or to write about a favorite daydream. Still another possibility is to write a poem based on this quotation: "If there were dreams to sell, what would you buy?" (Thomas Lovell Beddoes)

Saturday, February 18, 2012

This week we’re going to think about significant “firsts” in our lives – not childhood milestones (first words, first steps) but, rather, times in our later lives that recalled the childlike wonder of a special “first” or “first times/first experiences" that have been disturbing and perhaps even life-changing.

One way to begin is to create a list of important “firsts” in your life. You may opt to use this inventory to write a list poem in which you write about several of your "firsts." For a more challenging activity, select one of the “firsts” from your list and write about it in detail. Think about why your “first” was important to you. How did it affect you at the time? How has it impacted your life? Were other people involved and, if so, what roles did they play? Be sure to include details of time and place. Keep your imagery fresh and original. Develop a strong emotional center (but be careful of sentimentality). For an added edge, try to write something more than an anecdotal poem – don't simply tell a story, reveal something of the story's deepest meaning.

Alternatively, you may decide on a humorous approach. If you do, remember that a witty tone doesn’t mean you can’t make a serious point – funny and profound can happen in the same poem. (Some good technical elements to try in humorous poems include exaggeration, anaphora, and rhyme.)

Keep in mind that you don’t have to know exactly where your poem is going when you begin to write. Let the poem lead you and perhaps even surprise you. Be creative – the only rule is that the “first” you write about must be your own (not a child’s, friend’s, spouse’s, partner’s, or anyone else’s), and the poem [imagine a grin here] should be written in the “first” person.

A few “starter” ideas:

First Love
First Kiss
First Loss
First Death
First Grief
First Fear

First Deception
First Taste of ______
First Pet
First Marriage
First Child

Choices can be like walking into a candy store and trying to figure out which sweet we want the most. Like items on a menu or flavors in an ice cream parlor, we have options. We choose “things” all the time, but not all choices are easy. We choose one job over another, we choose where to live, we choose our friends, we choose our life partners, and we choose the ways in which we deal with life experiences.

Have you ever thought about the ways in which a particular choice impacted your life? For this week’s prompt, begin by thinking about choices you've made. One option is to reflect upon the Wayne Dyer quote above before writing a poem about a choice that you’ve made and the ways in which you acted in response to that choice. An alternative suggestion is to write about any major choice that you’ve made; and a third option is to write a humorous poem about choices. You might even try a poem with the title, "You Get to Choose."

WELCOME!

THE MUSIC IN IT

"The Music In It" is a blog for anyone interested in poets and poetry—the craft and the community.

The title comes from Countee Cullen, who wrote: "My poetry, I should think, has become the way of my giving out whatever music is in me."

Look for a new prompt or guest blogger every week or every other week, usually posted on Saturdays, and check the archives for older prompts and posts. Be sure to click on the poetry-related links in the sidebar.

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ABOUT NOT ASKING WHAT IF

"Kenny has written some of the most hauntingly beautiful spiritual haiku I’ve ever read—haiku that take us as close to divinity as human language can get. Her haiku are spare and commanding, rich in imagery, and layered with meaning." (Alex Pinto, Tiferet)

“Traditional haiku, environmental haiku, psychological haiku, spiritual haiku—Adele Kenny has done them all. Her haiku are spare and powerful, always nuanced with rich symbolism. Her images and juxtapositions make readers hold their breath in wonder.” (Malachy McCourt, Author of A Monk Swimming)

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ABOUT WHAT MATTERS

"In Adele Kenny's finely wrought meditations on grief and loss, she never forgets that she's a maker of poems. What Matters straddles two of the exigencies of the human condition: diminishment and endurance. It abounds with poems that skillfully earn their sentiments." (Stephen Dunn, Pulitzer Prize in Poetry)

"These are poems that come to (poetic) grips with the issues of grief, fear, and death ... focused in a new and strong way." (Gerald Stern, National Book Award in Poetry)

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I’m the author of 24 books (poetry & nonfiction) with poems published in journals worldwide, as well as in books and anthologies from Crown, Tuttle, Shambhala, and McGraw-Hill.
I’ve worked as a guest poet for numerous agencies, have twice been a featured reader in the Dodge Poetry Festival, and my awards include two poetry fellowships from the NJ State Arts Council, the 2012 International Book Award for Poetry, and the Distinguished Alumni Award (Kean University). My book, A LIGHTNESS, A THIRST, OR NOTHING AT ALL, is a 2016 Paterson Prize finalist. In March of 2012, I was appointed Poet Laureate of Fanwood, NJ by the Borough Mayor and Council.
A former professor of creative writing in the College of New Rochelle’s Graduate School, I’m founding director of the Carriage House Poetry Series and poetry editor for Tiferet Journal. I give readings and conduct both agency-sponsored and private poetry workshops.

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ATTENTION HAIKU POETS

If your area of interest is haiku and its related forms, click the image above for a list of journals (published in various countries) that might interest you.

ON THE TIP OF YOUR TONGUE

Ever find yourself in the middle of a poem and unable to find that one perfect word? Here's the link for a site that provides synonyms, antonyms, related words, similar sounding words, and much more. Easy to use!